Hands-on is best

Today was a great day in the classroom. In the morning session the student's were very engaged with their writing and editing. I love looking across the room, seeing the students silently edit their work using the 'Air Punctuation' strategy I have taught them. It is a WBT strategy that I will explain in detail in a future post IF I can learn how to add photos to my blog.

The second session was Math. In this session I divided the class into 5 groups and told them they were going to go on a Scavenger Hunt. I gave each group a set of objects that they needed to find. They needed to work as a group and once all of the items had been found they were to bring them to me. My focus for this activity was to have the students look at fractions in a different way. They were also given the opportunity to do a hands-on exploration of fractions.

At first the students were stumped, confounded, befuddled and argumentative. I walked around to each of the groups listening to their conversations, offering suggestions, prompts, nudges etc. I gave the class some time to work on their own and then called them all together to go over the task in more depth.

I reminded them about what we all knew about fractions and the different forms of measurements we had looked at this year. I wrote a chart on the board with their help that contained information they would need. For example, one thing they needed was half a kilogram of play dough. The success they had shown to this point was getting out the scales and play dough and attempting to weigh it. What they needed help on was identifying how much was half a kilogram. Then we talked about the ribbon. If one metre was 100 centimetres, how much would half a metre be? How much would one quarter of a metre be? 

After going over each of the items they needed to gather they went back to their groups to continue. When they were done they were to show me their collection.

This is a photo of one group's collection.

This group did well to stick the ribbon to their labels. Now all I need to do is measure each ribbon.

This group has done well.

I will need to have a discussion with this group and get them to explain their different groups. I wonder if the group unlabelled are the matching half to the group labelled half.

This group needs more work on mass.

This group has done well with their explanation. They worked out that they can'd cut a frog in half so the number in each group of quarters would be different.

I will need to get this group to explain why both amounts of play dough appear the same. Do they understand that one quarter is half the size of one half?

I will need to get this group to explain their measurements. The tricky part of this activity was measuring out one-eighth. The students were using kitchen measuring cups. There wasn't a one-eighth cup. Some students worked out that they needed to full the quarter cup half way. 

I have really enjoyed this activity. The classroom was just buzzing with activity. The important thing now is the follow-up discussion with each of the groups. I need to give the students enough time to repeat some the the measuring tasks. Some of the students will need more guidance to give them a chance of success.

I hope you enjoy reading this blog entry. I am thrilled to be able to finally add photos. I can't wait to continue the journey with the class tomorrow.

"Class-Yes"

Since beginning my blog on Whole Brain Teaching a number of teachers have told me that they are interested in trying some WBT strategies and are thinking about beginning next year. 

May I suggest you begin next term. Why put off something that will have such a positive effect on you and your students?

If I were to suggest two WBT strategies you could start with they would be ‘Class-Yes’ and ‘Scoreboard’. I will begin by explaining ‘Class-Yes’. This is the ‘best-ever-attention-getter’ I have used in 14 years of teaching. No more clap-clap-clappity-clap or chanting or begging for me.

I hope through reading my posts that you are getting the message that Whole Brain Teaching is all about utilising the different sections of the brain together to ensure the students are focused and engaged. ‘Class-Yes’ uses the pre-frontal cortex, motor cortex and auditory cortex.

When I need to get the class’s attention I begin by activating my prefrontal cortex, the area of the brain that controls decision-making and focusing of attention and I say, ‘Class.’ The students respond by saying ‘Yes’ in unison and they turn to face me with their hands on their heads.

They are taught in the first few weeks that they are to put down anything in their hands and completely turn to face me. In this way, I can be anywhere in the room when I need to give an instruction. The class doesn’t need to all come back to one central place to hear the instruction. Therefore, I am not interrupting their activities for long, enabling the flow of learning to continue.

When the students all stop what they are doing, say ‘Yes’, turn to face me and put their hands on their heads they are activating their prefrontal cortexes, enabling them to be focused on the information I will be giving them. I don’t waste time trying to get their attention. I don’t play games hoping to capture their attention. I don’t speak over the minority hoping the majority who are listening will hear me. Class, yes, message given, and everyone back to work. It is that simple and that quick.

As I have mentioned in previous posts, WBT focuses on keeping the fun in learning. There is fun to be had in ‘Class-Yes’.

However I say ‘Class’ and whatever tone of voice I use, the class must mimic.

Teacher: Class, class.

Students: Yes, yes.

Teacher: Class a doodle doo.

Students: Yes a doodle doo.

Teacher: Oh claaaaaaaass.

Students: Oh yeeeeeeeess.

You get the picture. The tone of voice and also volume can be chosen depending on the mood and activity at that very moment. Imagine the students are all deep in thought as they write their narratives. For some reason I need to give them all a message, or new instruction but I don’t want to startle them or interrupt the peace and quiet of the room. I can whisper, “Class, class, class.” The students will whisper in response, “Yes, yes, yes.” The mood of the class has not been interrupted.

If however, the class is very busy in exploring activities, working in groups etc and there is a lot of hubbub in the room that I need to silence in order to give an instruction, I will sing, “Class, class, classity class,” starting loud and getting quieter. This way the class hears me but by mimicking my volume, their volume is reduced to nothing, my message is given and work resumes.

When I first introduced ‘Class-Yes’, I used the strategy with ‘Scoreboard.’ When the class responded quickly they were all rewarded with a point on the scoreboard. If they were not pleasing to me in their response then I put a score on my side of the scoreboard. The class learned quickly that they needed to work together as a team. If the class chose to give me the point they could not blame another student for their perceived loss, as they are a team and all are responsible for the outcome.

As the class become very good at ‘Class-Yes’, they do not always get a score on the scoreboard. I choose sometimes not to give them a point, as I want to just pass on another piece of information without interrupting the flow of the lesson.

One last tip on using ‘Class-Yes’, is that there will be times when you may need to tighten it up a bit. The class may get a little sloppy or slow in their response. They may need a little adjustment here or there. Just remember to keep it short and FUN.

The Emotional Classroom

Let me ask you a few questions.

How important is the emotional health of your classroom? Whose responsibility is the emotional health of your classroom? What has emotional health got to do with learning?

A few years ago I was at a real low point in my teaching career. I had stopped enjoying going to work. There were days when I drove to school and just sat in the car, not wanting to face the day. I had started thinking seriously about leaving and looking for a typical nine to five job. Talking to other teachers revealed that they also felt similar feelings to me. It was at a point of desperation that I discovered WBT. The first thing that caught my attention was when Chris Biffle said that the classroom had to be a place of fun. He said that without fun the children couldn’t learn. I realised that Coach was right but thought it was going to be impossible to make my classroom a fun house when even I hated being there.

I had to face reality and I couldn’t keep putting the blame on the rain, wind, curriculum or the students themselves. If things in my classroom were going to change and improve then I would have to change. I determined to return to school for the next term ready to implement some of the WBT strategies I had been reading about.

After the first week of term I was stunned by the change in the classroom. At first I didn’t mention the changes I had made to anyone in case it was just a honeymoon period. The end of the second week arrived and the mood in the classroom was continuing to improve. I couldn’t stop smiling. I even think I was feeling a little happy.

Here we are now, nearly two years later and I am a very different teacher. I love going to school. My classroom is such a fun place to be. The children in my class love coming to school evidenced in the drastic reduction to unexplained absences. I would love to share some of the WBT strategies that I believe have had such a huge impact on the emotional well being of my classroom.

To begin with we are going to look into the brain, as that is where Whole Brain Teaching starts. My understanding of the brain systems are very basic and open to correction.

There are two systems in the brain that impact on our emotional health, the Limbic System and the Reticular Activating System. Notice that they are both named ‘systems’, which means that you can’t just point to one part of the brain as being involved with the emotional health of a person. The limbic system includes the hypothalamus, hippocampus and amygdala.

The reticular activating system or RAS is a network of neurons that run through the brain stem connecting to other parts of the brain. The ascending RAS connects to the limbic system. Your RAS acts as a filter against all of the information we are bombarded with daily. Your brain can only process so much information at a time so your RAS filter only lets through things that it thinks important. The information that gets through the RAS filter can travel to the pre-frontal cortex, which is where thinking and learning happen. Positive things pass through and allow new learning to occur, negative things block new learning from occurring. Things that are fun pass through. Things that cause us to feel fear will stop the flow of learning. The fear response can be as a result of hunger, thirst, pain, shame, confusion, too much information or the speed at which new information is delivered.

If I want children to learn in my classroom I must provide them with an environment that is safe and fun.

Following are a few of the strategies I put in place.

·      The morning greeting. Students at school line up in a designated place each morning on first bell. As I walk to meet them I make myself smile, regardless of how I am feeling. I want each of my students to know that I am thrilled to see them at school. I make eye contact with them, comment on their new haircut, ask about their weekend or night etc. In the first few minutes I don’t mention any negatives, even if I see any, such as jewellery or lack of uniform. I will talk privately to the student about those things later.

·      Oh Yeah! This strategy is part of the WBT ‘Scoreboard’ procedure. When the class gets a point they all shout out ‘Oh Yeah!’ with a fist pump. It is a small moment in the day but it really pumps up the energy of the entire class. The whole class feels terrific and proud of themselves.

·      Scoreboard can also be used to lift the feelings in the classroom. If we are having a bad day I can work out a way for the class to get a point, have a cheer, and start feeling better about themselves.

·      Ten Finger Woo. When a student does something worth a cheer or recognition in a more meaningful way than simply saying, ‘Well done,’ you can use a Ten Finger Woo. I say, ‘Let’s give ________ a Ten Finger Woo.’ The class turns and looks at ________ and while wiggling ten fingers at the student they say ‘Woo!’ This is such a great strategy for making a student feel valued and proud. I liken it to an emotional hug. The look on a student’s face when they get a Ten Finger Woo is priceless.

I have only mentioned a few strategies and they are very small things, which only take a few minutes out of the day but bring about such a feeling of well being in the classroom. As I have continued with these strategies, the emotional health of the classroom has improved so much that parents have told me how much their child enjoys coming to school.

Let’s return to the questions I asked at the beginning of this post. How important is the emotional health of your classroom? The emotional health of my classroom is extremely vital to the quality of learning that will occur. Whose responsibility is the emotional health of your classroom? It is my responsibility and I will do what I can to see that emotional health is valued in my practice. What has emotional health got to do with learning? My minimal understanding of the Limbic and Reticular Activating Systems lead me to believe that learning will not be able to happen if a student is feeling threatened or fearful or unsafe. I want my students to know that my classroom is a safe place to be and that I will support their exploration in education. I will make their classroom a place of fun and laughter.

Oral Writing (writing without pen or paper)

One of the things I really love about Whole Brain Teaching is that it is not just a behaviour management system. The Whole Brain Teaching team also introduced me to a whole new way of teaching different aspects of the curriculum.

Let me introduce you to Oral Writing, a method of writing that doesn’t use pencil or paper. My student’s love Oral Writing, particularly those students who have trouble with:

• Spelling (the student who doesn't want to write a word they can't spell)
• Thinking of something to write about (the student who sits staring into space waiting for an idea to grab them)
• Messy handwriting (the student who really struggles with the technical aspect of writing and finds it difficult to produce something that is legible)

Although I have students who struggle with the idea of writing a story, they are never lost for words if they have a story they want to share with their friends which is why Oral Writing is ideal.

Oral Writing gives students a chance to practice speaking in sentences and paragraphs without committing a word to the page. If they get stuck they have the opportunity to ask the class for help so that they can continue. Oral Writing encourages students to learn how to answer questions with more than the typical ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answers. So let me get to the nitty gritty and set out the procedure for you.

Begin by teaching the students that they need to answer my question with part of the question in their answer. Their answer needs to be a complete sentence.

Teacher: What did you do for your holidays?

Student: For my holidays I went camping with my family.

Teacher: What’s your favourite dessert?

Student: My favourite dessert is Chocolate ice-cream

Teacher: What did you do for your holidays?

Student: For my holidays I went camping with my family.

If a student forgets that they need to answer in a complete sentence smile and cup your hand behind your ear. It is the gesture for, “I didn’t hear a complete sentence.”

Once they are able to answer your question with a complete sentence you can introduce the next step, ‘adding and Adder’. An Adder is a sentence that adds more information and detail to the first sentence. The gesture for the Adder is to point pointer fingers at each other and spin them.  

Teacher: What did you do for you holidays?

Student: For my holidays I went camping with my family. (Smile and cup ear with hand if student doesn’t use whole sentence, e.g. student answers with, “Went camping.”)

Teacher: (spins pointer fingers, the gesture asking for an Adder.)

Student: We camped beside the dam on my Grandad’s farm. (gesture for another Adder)

Student: During the day we swam in the dam and at night we roasted marshmallows.

Before they realise it, the student is ‘writing’ a paragraph. All they need to do now is complete the paragraph with a ‘conclusion’. The gesture for the ‘Concluder’ is

waving one hand above the other, as if signalling that play is over. The student needs to complete their paragraph with their next sentence.

Student: Camping with the family is so much fun.

To recap, I ask a student a question, the student answers in a complete sentence, I gesture for the student to provide additional sentences that add more information to the initial topic sentence. I gesture for the student to complete the paragraph with a concluding sentence.

When I introduced this to my class, I started by asking three questions in a session. The initial sentences were about topics the students enjoyed talking about such as favourite things (food, movie, band, sport), places they have been to (Movie World, Sea World) etc. Then I started asking questions about different topics related to the work we were doing in the classroom. “What book are you currently reading?” “What is heat?” “What is Australia?”

When you start to ask questions that the students find difficult to answer they can appeal to their classmates for help. I remember a song I used to sing about a rabbit that ran up to a house asking for help. When the rabbit cried out “Help me! Help me!” I would raise my arms up and down. This has become my class gesture for asking for help.

When a student appeals to the class for help, students who have an idea of what to say next put their hands up in the air. The student listens to a few of their ideas and then chooses one to continue the paragraph.

Teacher: What is a fraction?

Student: A fraction shows how many parts in a whole. (gesture for Adder) The top number is called the numerator and the bottom number is called the denominator. (gesture for Adder) An example of a fraction would be …..Help me! Help me!

Other Students: One half! Three fourths! Two thirds! Four fifths!

Student: An example of a fraction would be three fourths. (gesture for Concluder) To sum up, sometimes fractions are hard to understand.

So that is the basics of Oral Writing. In my next blog I will describe my favourite Whole Brain Teaching strategy, Air Punctuation. I hope you are enjoying learning about the wonders of Whole Brain Teaching and have been able to implement some of the strategies in your own classroom. 

Class Rules

Our school has four school rules that are used by all students. The rules are 'I am an Active Learner', 'I am Responsible', 'I am Respectful', and 'I am Safe'. As these rules are non-negotiable I did wonder how I was going to use the WBT method of gestures and reciting the rules daily.

Finally, after much thinking, I came up with the following rules which incorporate the school rules and WBT strategies. I have put the gestures in brackets.

Rule number 1. (Draw a circle in the air with one finger held up.) I am an Active Learner, (Pump arms back and forth as though running.) follow directions quickly. (One hand makes a snake like movement from the body out in front.)

Rule number 2. (Draw a circle in the air with two fingers held up.) I am Respectful, (Right hand up to forehead as though saluting) listen to others. (Cup hands behind ears.)

Rule number 3. (Draw a circle in the air with three fingers held up.) I am Responsible, (Right arm across body, hand up to left shoulder. I tell the students it is like putting on a seat belt. We all have to wear a seat belt in the car. Mum and Dad expect us to be responsible and put it on every time we get in the car.) make smart choices. (Tap pointer fingers of both hands to temples).

Rule number 4. (Draw a circle in the air with four fingers held up.) I am Safe, (Cross both arms in front of body.) ask for permission to leave the room. (Hand up in the air to ask for permission, circle finger and point to the door).

I introduced one rule a day for the first week of Term 1. By the end of the week the students could recite all four rules with the accompanying gestures. The students were so proud of their achievements. Reciting the rules along with gestures is what makes them easy to memorise. As well as being whole brain, reciting the rules with gestures also fits in well with Gardener's multiple intelligences.

•               visually: they look at the rules that are on display in the room

•               kinesthetically: physically using gestures with each rule

•               interpersonally: the students work with each other to recite the rules. They also support each other if someone forgets a rule.

•               Musically: the rules are recited in a rhythmical fashion, speaking out loud and in unison

I always had in the back of my mind that there are 5 WBT rules, the fifth one being "Make your dear teacher happy". This rule did not fit with the school rules and I must admit I thought it was a little 'corny'. However, I have since learned more about the use and reason behind rule 5 so have now introduced it to my class.

I chose to introduce Rule 5 to the class after receiving more information and instruction about Class Rules from Chris Biffle on a WBT video. Chris, fondly known as Coach B, said that there is a loophole in every rule except rule 5. Children will try to argue their way out of the rules when you point out a breaking of the rule. “I wasn’t speaking. I was just asking a question.” “I was making a smart choice.” They are able to do this because each rule has two points of view, theirs and mine. However there is no loophole with rule 5 because there is only one point of view, mine.

I remember feeling really self conscious about Rule 5 also because it seemed as though I was trying to make a rule about getting the student’s attention. Coach B pointed out that although the rule may seem to be all about me it is really all about the students. What makes me the happiest? Seeing my students do their best learning and this happens in an environment where they feel safe, valued and respected.

Part of the WBT method is to go over the rules daily, not to just make a lovely poster and have it on display in the room, hoping students will catch the rules by osmosis.

Reciting the rules is a part of my daily routine and is very effective in the classroom. One thing I have not yet mastered with the class is the use of a specific rule recitation if there is an infringement in the class at a particular time. For example, if a student is speaking while another student is addressing the class, I would like to say Rule 2 and have the students just recite rule 2 as a reminder to their required behaviour. At this stage when I mention a particular rule the class recites all five rules. To get around this I am going to have the class recite the rules in random order. 

Getting started with Whole Brain Teaching

There are so many parts to Whole Brain Teaching. In this post I am going to focus on the behaviour management of the classroom that uses the two strategies called 'Class-Yes' and 'Scoreboard'.

Any one who has been teaching for more than one week knows the importance of managing the behaviour of the students. You cannot teach anything if the class is disruptive and out of control. As a teacher I have also learned the value of creating the right environment for children to be able to effectively learn.

The best thing I have heard recently about creating a welcoming classroom was on the Conversations interview that Richard Fidler did with Chris Sarra.

"Chris Sarra was the first Aboriginal principal at Cherbourg State School in Queensland. The school was chaotic and wild, filled with kids with low self-esteem who didn't even turn up half the time. But by the time Chris Sarra left it was filled with kids with a sense of purpose and a deep sense of pride in being Aboriginal." Conversation Hour, 6:12 ABC Radio, October 2007.

Introducing Chris Sarra in his April 2014 interview, Richard Fidler said that attendances at Cherbourg went from 62% up to 94%. The following is a transcript of a section of the interview in which Chris tells listeners one reason that attendances did increase.

"I'm happy to get out and chase kids to school. I'm happy to talk to parents and the council about getting kids to school. But what I want from you (the teachers) is some guarantees that this is a school worth coming to. That your classrooms are engaging. That your relationship with them is high expectations. That the things that you offer have intellectual integrity. I'm not going to go out and chase kids into a school where they sit around and do photocopied worksheets or colouring in or whatever. We need to be a school that offers intellectual integrity, good relationships, safe place. That the environment is predictable and loving." Chris Sarra, Conversation Hour, 6:12 ABC Radio, April 2014.

This really confirmed in me the importance of the emotional environment I create in my classroom. WBT is also very concerned with the emotional environment teachers create. "Class-Yes" and "Scoreboard" was my first step into changing my classroom.

What is Class-Yes?

Class-Yes is a behaviour management technique I use when I want to get the attention of the whole class. I use this technique when I need to give an instruction or I need to say something that the class needs to pay attention to. 

As teachers, we all know the frustration of trying to get an entire class silent and paying attention. Over the years of teaching I have heard of and tried a variety of 'attention getting devices'. Some have worked, some didn't and some only worked for a short time. Class-Yes has, in my experience, worked for me since I started using it two and a half years ago.

What do you do?

When I need to get the attention of the class I say, "Class." The students respond by saying, "Yes" in unison and using the same tone of voice that I used. As the students say yes, they must turn and look at me, with their hands on their heads. I have focussed their brains so that they are ready to hear my instruction.

That doesn't sound like much?

You may think that, particularly if all I do is say 'class' and they respond 'yes'. But WBT has taught me the importance of having fun and tapping into the emotional part of the brain. To do that I vary the way I say 'class' as well as the tone and pitch of my voice. The students have fun copying me. I also say 'class' in a variety of ways such as, 'class-a-doo; classity, classity; class-a-doodle-doo; oh class; etc. The variety of ways is limitless but the attention getting response is the same.

What is Scoreboard?

I have never been a fan of reward systems that many other teachers use. I could not see the point of buying heaps of little items to fill a 'shop' or hand out tickets for a lucky draw at the end of the week. It seemed to me that students were learning to perform for a physical reward. It was also my experience that students very quickly tire of the pencil or rubber reward and start expecting bigger and better. Who hasn't heard, "What's in it for me?"?

As I had committed myself to implementing WBT strategies in my classroom, I was going to have to bight the bullet and introduce a 'reward' system. 

Enter the 'Scoreboard'.

I put a small whiteboard at the front of the room and drew a T Chart on it. On one side I wrote Mrs D (that's me) and on the other side I wrote Class. Whenever the class gets a point I put a tally mark on their side of the board and they (in unison) give me a mighty 'Oh yeah!' with a fist pump. Their reward is a visual tally mark, a vocal affirmation and a physical gesture that they all enjoy. Whole brain? You bet.

Whenever their behaviour 'gives me a point', I put a tally mark on my side of the board and they give my a mighty groan. At the end of the day we add up the tally marks to see who won.

One day a teacher aide in my classroom asked me what the class would win. She was used to the physical reward systems seen around the school. I told her that the class won 'bragging rights'. Then she wanted to know what I would win. I told her that I also get bragging rights. I love to go home and tell my family that little bitty me managed to defeat a whole class. If the students should win they can't wait to tell their parents that they beat me.

I use the Scoreboard in conjunction with Class-Yes. If I feel that the class did not stop and look at me quickly or silently enough I put a tally mark on my side of the board. If they do stop instantly and silently, they get the tally mark. The Scoreboard can also be used throughout the day for many other reasons.

How does this tap into the emotional part of the classroom environment?

The class work together as a team. They feel good about their behaviour. They encourage each other to participate in a positive way. They give themselves a positive, emotional, instant boost when they shout out, "Oh Yeah!" They don't have to hear me begging and pleading with them to be quiet and pay attention. We don't waste time waiting for the class to all stop what they are doing before I can speak. When students look at the Scoreboard and see a mass of tally marks on their side of the board they feel great about themselves.

So there you have it, my first two WBT techniques in a nutshell.

If you are interested in the work of Chris Sarra I recommend the interviews that can be found on 6:12 ABC Radio, Conversations. Look in the archive for his name.

What is Whole Brain Teaching?

Whole Brain Teaching (WBT) is an approach to learning that started with the work and research of three men about 10 years ago. Chris Biffle, philosophy professor, Jay Vanderfin and Chris Reksted, primary school teachers had noticed a recurring topic in the discussions they were having with other educators. Students were disengaged from learning, disruptive behaviour was increasing and teachers were trying to find a reason to keep going to work each day.

The men realised that something had to be done in education and came up with Whole Brain Teaching. The approach uses methods which activate both hemispheres of the brain whereas the traditional pedagogical approach focuses on the right hemisphere of the brain. 

WBT strategies make connections between the right side of the brain and the left side of the brain. This connects the rational and reasoning side with the creative and emotional side. An approach which integrates both hemispheres of the brain leads to more effective engagement and learning. 

As mentioned in my first post, I had reached a stage in my career as a teacher when I wanted to quit. As I read about WBT I was finding out that I was not alone. So many other teachers around the world were feeling the same way. As well as struggling within myself I was also being pressured at school in planning meetings, staff meetings and professional development to show how I was including 'differentiation'. I needed to plan for different ability levels, learning styles and backgrounds of each student in my room. How was I to plan for all of the different needs in my classroom and effectively teach when the behaviour of the students was out of control every day? I was differentiating and still the behaviour was discouraging. 

I decided to introduce some WBT strategies into my daily routine and to my delight the behaviour in the classroom started to change as the students were becoming more and more engaged and active in their own learning. As their behaviour changed I started to feel better about my skills and found I was also changing. 

My classroom before WBT:

• students were expected to sit silently at their desks and write notes, copy from the board or complete work sheets
• there was a lot of teacher talk
• I thought that the curriculum needed to be brought down to the level of the students
• assessment occurred at the end of a unit of work

My classroom now, with WBT:

• the students and I share the talking and teaching
• students are active, they move around, get up and down off their chairs, use gestures, laugh a lot, etc
• students are trusted to achieve a high level of learning and rise to the level of expectation
• assessment is occurring throughout the day in a variety of ways

My classroom is a safer and more encouraging place for the students to be. They have fun and they are given so many moments throughout the day to feel good about themselves. They enjoy the interactions with myself and their peers. WBT touches the emotion of the students so that they remember how they feel in the classroom not just what they learned.

I hope I have whetted your appetite and you are screaming out for my next blog entry where I will introduce some of the WBT strategies I use daily in my classroom.